The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-04-15
PROTECTION TRUTHS

Plainly aaA Horsibsy ssassA ~ . PfsO-
insns Chanpaoa sd 0sssssuaan. seaaesr
sherman - Whist eAs A0sfiean 9yseo0
RAs Desc fer A0SsieA.
The following is taken from Senator
Sherman's speech lately delivered at
Nashville. Tenn. in response to an in
vitation extended to him by the Legs
lature of that State:
Whichever party 10 in power viii md II Dee'
essay to secure BY some iDrm OF taxstoo
about 100. 10000 Of revenue Tho Constttutt00
gives to Congress IN almost unlimited power q
taxation II may levy tmposts OF duties on ~
ported goods. excuses or taxation, or domestic
production, or empioyments. and also diress
taxes on property. From Tie nature Of this
power it - only limited BY III public good ~
general welfare.
Congress has very rarely leviea direes sszeo
on property. for this is almost the sole meds q
taxation fer the support Of State md local
governments. And 20 with taxes o. domestio
productions. with rare exceptions caused b
war or the result Of war, taxes have not been
levied by Congress on any article Of Americas
production. Al this time ths oaly articles made
in this country subject to . National taxation
are whisky. tobacco and beer They have been
continued so long only TO pay expenses grow
ing out OF the VA. such Is pensions and interest
on the public debt, and because from their very
nature the the tax can not be lowed by State
authority II Tennessee should tax the produc
ton or manufacture Of whisky. tobacco or beer
it would only drive the manufacture into neigh
boring States which levied no such tax. Anoth-
or reason why these articles are taxed by Com
gress is that tax is easily and cheaply collected
and is more freely paid than any other. perhaps.
because the consumer is SO happy in using
them that he does not think Of the tax In this
way over 41OO.0OO.OOo Of National revenue u
raised. But these taxes. though not felt as .
serious burden, can be dispensed with reduced
or modified whenever il is deemed best.
There still remains the duties levied on i'm
ported goods, and in the mode of doing this
lies the main issue between the Republican
and Democratic parties. Both parties conced0
that their taxes or duties on goods imported
from foreign countries must be. as they have
been in the past. the main source OF National
revenue. The Democratic party claims, hnN-
ever that they shall be levied for revenue
only: while the Republican party claims that.
while levied for revenue. they should be so ad-
justed as to protect, foster and encourage
American industry
The domestic production Of manufactured
articles in the United States for the year 1SS6
is roundly estimated at s5,JO,OOOo. OF which
amount about one-half. or Ss.5D.oOO0O. are
domestic articles which compete with foreign
productions The amount Of importatiOnx,
from abroad in 1895 was of the value Of s6a5>-
ON.OW. The revenue received from the duties
on these articles amounted to &1ss OO.oOO max
ing an average rate OF duty Of thirty per cent.
The general idea Of the Democratic party is to
levy these duties by such q rate approaching an
I'D yalorem average rate as probably would pro-
duce the requisite revenue. The Republican
idea is practically embodied in the tariff laws
as they now exist, and perhaps the best way in
which can illustrate the difference between
the two parties is by stating these rates and ex-
planning the reason for them.
OF the SIS go of goods imported, ssil .Oo,-
OOO. or more than one-third. are now admitted
duty free The remaining $4l4, 0Oo,0Oo are sub
ject to duties varying from 10 per cent. to over
100 per cent. 1t is the general policy OF the Law
to admit free OF duty all articles OF foreign pro-
duction that can not be produced in this coun-
try. for which we have not the natural soil and
climate, and yet which are in common use in
every family here, such as tea, coffee and sim
liar articles.
The second rule Is to admit free Of duty all
raw articles which can not be produced in this
country and are the necessary basis of domestic
manufactures. Such articles as chemicals. in
digo. sulphur. india rubber, raw silk and tho
like are admitted free Of duty. Under this pro-
vision perhaps 500 articles described in sixteen
pages Of the document hold in my hand. being
the annual report Of imported merchandise,
entered for consumption in the United States
for the year 1886, are admitted free Of duty.
On the remaining articles of import embrace
ing probably more than one thousand in num-
Der. the whole customs duties are collected.
amounting to slss.OOO.O00 These are classified
into: First. luxuries. consisting Of wines.
liquors and cigars. articles consumed mainly by
the rich, which pay duty at a rate approaching
or above 100 per cent. These are articles which
can not be readily struggled, can be certainly
described and yield 4 large revenue Jew
elry. diamonds and the like are articles Of
49, ,hAaS Artv - av-tO
| that can be collected. but as they are easily
| concealed on the person. and therefore.
easily smuggled, rates OF duty are i'm
posed upon them as high as experience shows
can be collected. There are also classed as
| Injuries a large amount OF expensive dress
goods. such as silks, fine cloths. satin or furbe-
lows and the like. mainly for gentlemen and
ladies' wear. which also pay high rate OF duty,
and are purely articles Of luxury or ornament
consumed by the rich.
The next class OF articles are those which en-
ter into competition with domestic manu.act-
ures. such as cotton goods. linen goods. wooden
goods and innumerable articles made out Of
metals, and also raw articles like iron. coal and
similar natural products. Upon these articles
such duty is levied as will. without de-
stroyng competition, give to the domestic
manufacturer Of similar articles what may be-
called protective duty ranging from 25 TO a
per cent, sufficient to encourage their manu-
facture IN this country, ana thus 10 increase
and diversity our products.
There is third class Of duties on great "
riety OF articles which come into competition
with the productions Of the farmer and the
planter. Among these are wool 1--we ANIMALS.
wheat and various forms Of grain, sugar rico
and other products Of the South On these
such a duty is levied as will encourage our
farmers in producing every article of agricuit-
ure suited to our climate and soil
Under fheSe general oroupin NAV be CHASED
all the numerous articles embraced IN the tar
| it, with the duties on each carefully adjusted
for the protection Of home industry. This pro-
tective policy has been recommended by every
Presiden. OF the United States prior to Mar
TN Van Buren, and by statesmen Of ali sec
tons, but was never put into effective sorco
until the ascendancy Of the Republican party in
1861.
The first really protective tariff was passed
| in the Closing hours Of Mr.. Buchanan's Admin
istration. and is purely Republican measure
though signed by him We have had now an
experience Of twenty-five years under this sys-
tenn and We can judge Of its effects By actual
results.
In 1850 the total manufactures OF the United
States were estimated at SIS. 0G.0O0. including
every variety OF mechanical employment. Ash
have already stated these have increased To
over q. 600. 600 in value and nearly nvefold
in quantity. and they include almost every arsi-
Gle essential for human life. In the produc-
ton Of all these articles there is now free
trade and close competition in the United
States. and the price has been greatly reduced
on all OF them. They embrace almost every
article on the farm in the workshop, and
in nine-tenths OF the families Of the United
States Our industry is Cow 50 diversified
that there is hardly an object Of desire
outside OF Injuries Of the rich that Is not pro-
| duced in the United States. and our home in
dussries are rapidly displacing the foreign